Warren Mayor Calls To Prevent Mosquito Breeding Grounds

FLAMINGO, FL - AUGUST 12: The a female mosquito prepares to bite the photographer's hand at Everglades National Park August 12, 2002 in Flamingo, Florida. The female bugs use the blood protein to feed their eggs then lays the eggs in water. The itch from the bite is caused by the human body's immune system responding to the mosquito's saliva. During the summer, the Everglades closes its camping facilities almost entirely because of the onslaught of mosquitoes. Traps are put up throughout Flamingo where 250,000 mosquitoes a day are collected. (Photo by Tom Ervin/Getty Images)

The a female mosquito prepares to bite the photographer's hand at Everglades National Park August 12, 2002 in Flamingo, Florida. The female bugs use the blood protein to feed their eggs then lays the eggs in water. The itch from the bite is caused by the human body's immune system responding to the mosquito's saliva. During the summer, the Everglades closes its camping facilities almost entirely because of the onslaught of mosquitoes. Traps are put up throughout Flamingo where 250,000 mosquitoes a day are collected. (Photo by Tom Ervin/Getty Images)

Mayor Fouts wants city council to approve the purchase of mosquito prevention treatments for the city’s 18,000 catch basins.

Fouts recently met several city department heads to begin an aggressive program to treat areas of the city that may contain stagnant standing water, which are ideal spots for mosquito infestations.

Under the program, homeowners could be fined up to $1,000 for failing to rid their property of stagnant water that collects in wheelbarrows, garden equipment, pool covers and other stuff around the yard.

Fouts said he is really pushing the issue this year due to the heavy amounts of rain the area has encountered in the last several months.

He hopes by controlling mosquito breeding in early summer, it will reduce heavy mosquito biting in late summer and early fall.

According to Fouts, Michigan was one of the top two states in both fatalities and serious illnesses caused by West Nile nearly 10 years ago.